Social Impact

Launched in 2005, NBA Cares serves as the league’s global social responsibility platform, fulfilling the NBA’s mission by working to address important social issues. Working alongside internationally recognized youth serving organizations, the NBA family has provided more than 6.2 million hours of hands-on service and helped create more than 2,041 places where kids and families can live, learn or play in 40 countries and territories.

All 30 NBA Teams work throughout the season to identify specific needs and challenges facing their communities and partner with local community stakeholders to make an impact through NBA Cares events and programming.

The National Basketball Social Justice Coalition is a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization that leads the NBA family’s collaborative efforts to advance social justice. The Coalition was formed in 2020 as a joint venture of the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), and National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA).

The Coalition leverages the game of basketball’s influence to promote policy, build strategic partnerships, and empower action on racial inequality and social justice.

The Coalition is led by a board of fifteen, including 5 players, 5 team governors, 2 head coaches, the NBA Commissioner, the NBA Deputy Commissioner, and the Executive Director of the NBPA. Day-to-day operations are executed by a team of full-time Coalition employees.

Since tipping off its agenda, the Coalition has advocated on a bipartisan basis for better laws and policies on policing reform, voting rights, community safety and criminal justice reform.

As a 501(c)(4) organization, the Coalition adds new tools to the NBA family’s social impact work—engaging in direct legislative and policy advocacy on justice issues.

The Foundation makes grants across the United States and Canada with a specific focus on the NBA’s 28 markets.

The first step in the NBA Foundation’s grantmaking process is submitting a brief application through the Foundation’s grants application portal. Additional instructions can be found here. If you have any questions or technical issues, please direct all inquiries to grants@nba.com 

To be considered for a grant from the NBA Foundation, your organization must meet the following requirements:

• Qualify as a registered 501(c)3 tax organization or a T3010 if operating in Canada
• Focus on promoting school-to-career employment opportunities that target under-resourced youth ages 14-24 years old
• Serve a minimum of 25 youth annually across your programs
• Have an IRS Form 990 or a 990-EZ
• Operate in one or more of the NBA’s 28 markets

The Foundation does not support:

• Direct donations or grants to individuals
• Individual scholarships or sponsorships
• Projects or programs primarily focused on serving adults over the age of 25
• Political campaigns and lobbying efforts
• After school or Pre-K programs
• Hospitals

The NBA HBCU Fellowship Program aims to provide career development opportunities in the business of basketball for undergraduate and graduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Fellows are selected by NBA teams and the league office to work within a variety of departments, including ticket sales, corporate partnerships, legal, social responsibility, and marketing. The Fellowship Program is a paid 10-week summer internship program and will run from June – August.

Yes, we offer both.

The NBA Foundation offers 3 signature programs that support our mission to drive economic opportunity for under-resourced youth through employment and career development. Our programs include the NBA x HBCU Fellowship, the NBA All-Star Pitch Competition, and Tech Challenge. To learn more about our signature programming, visit NBAFoundation.com